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In the Workshop: Patek Philippe Celestial $250K Watch

You can think of luxury watches without immediately thinking of Patek Philippe and that's why we were so delighted recently when one of their most extraordinary timepieces found its way into our workshop here at Manhattan Time Service - the mesmerising Patek Philippe Celestial Watch - and it was an honor to work on a watch as well made and iconic as this space centric timepiece.

Patek Philippe are a watchmaker that are particularly well known for their sheer attention to detail when it comes to their watch complications and the willingness to push the boat out and try new things that would leave lesser watchmakers waking up in a panic. Not so with Patek and their Celestial series of watches are much loved by those in horology circles and the chance to test our watch repair skills on a timepiece as merticulously crafted as this was something that we relished.

Out of this World Craftsmanship

The rarity of the Celestial 5102 watch from Patek Philippe that found its way to our workshop here at Manhattan Time Service makes it all the more rewarding to have been given the opportunity to work upon it and cast our eyes on the intricate inner workings of such a rare and revered timepiece.

Breathtaking visually, the Celestial series of timepieces from Patek Philippe depicts the night sky as it appears over Geneva in Switzerland and for those with a love of both horology and astrology (not to mention incredibly deep pockets), there is simply no finer timepiece on the market.

The intricate, methodical way in which this Celestial 5102 watch has been put together by Swiss watchmakers, Patek Philippe, is little short of extraordinary and it always delights us to see such well made watches in our workshop. The astronomical display upon this magnificent timepiece makes use of a system of rotating sapphire plates, each turning at varying speeds to reproduce the relationships of the different celestial bodies at alternative times.

Patek Philippe claims to have calculated 25 trillion "ratio combinations" for this spectacular collection of Celestial watches and they did this so they could deliver the most accurate possible system for tracking and measuring the movement of the stars. Such an attention to detail and out of this world craftsmanship is unprecedented in the world of luxury watchmaking and it's easy to see why these watches typically sell for over a quarter of a million dollars.

Magnificent Materials

When you get up close and personal with a watch of the magnitude of the Patek Philippe Celestial 5102, you really appreciate the impressive materials that have gone into its construction and we definitely left in awe of this glorious watch when working on it in our Manhattan workshop. The Patek Philippe Celestial 5102 watch has many eye-catching materials to write home about including a platinum and 18K rose gold casing with sides that are embossed with Calatrava Cross and sapphire crystal glass to the front and back of the casing.

The first thing that stands out with this exemplary timepiece is the bold, blue watch face that immediately draws the eye and provides the other worldly element to this spectacular watch from Patek Philippe. On the watch face you'll find an aesthetically appealing elliptical window which is marked with the cardinal directions for orienting the celestial display to true north. In addition to this, this striking watch from Patek Philippe also has Roman numeral elaborated minutes and hours chapter situated around the edge of the watch dial - not to mention the thorougly impressive skeletonized "Feuille" style hands - all of which combine to make genuinely one of the most impressive wristwatches we've encountered to date here at Manhattan Time Service.

When we turned our attention to the movement of this stunning Celestial 5102 timepiece from Patek Philippe, it was just as amazing as every other component of this most luxurious of watches and it is a real thing of beauty and testament to the skill of the watchmakers. You'll find a Patek Philippe Caliber 240 LU CL with a stunning 45 jewels and 301 individual, hand-finished parts within the movement of this phenomenal watch and this level of craftsmanship is testament to why Patek Philippe are seen as one of the world's premier watchmakers.

Crowning Glory

Many horology aficionados see the Celestial series of watches from Patek Philippe as amongst the finest timepieces they have ever created and it truly was a delight to have the opportunity to see one close up in our Manhattan workshop. It's not every day that you come across a watch that weighs in over a quarter of a million dollars but, having seen the intricacy of the movement and the quality of the materials, if any watch is worth this amount of money, it is the Celestial 5102.

We're privileged to work on some of the world's most amazing watches here at Manhattan Time Service but we can honestly say this breathtaking timepiece is one of the most awe-inspiring we've encountered and a fine example of the exemplary talents of the watchmakers at Patek Philippe. We love seeing unique and unusual watches like this come through our doors and giving this the opportunity to see the sheer attention to detail and precision which has gone into their crafting.

It will probably be a while before we see a watch quite of this calibre again...

ABOUT THE EDITORIAL STAFF

Thomas Lodowski Practiced horology since the age of 15, successfully took apart, cleaned and assembled a Rolex Submariner Cal. 3135 at the age of 19, further improved his watchmaking skills with NAWCC School of Horology. “It has been 15 years since I took apart my first watch, my goal is to repair every timepiece ever produced”.

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As one of the leading watch repair specialists in New York, at Manhattan Time Service we are a family run business with a worldwide reputation for excellence and value. Our watchmakers know that the only thing better than owning a great watch is having it professionally serviced by master technicians.

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